01 juni 2008Soulet and Franchi make it three out of three at the 45th Anniversary Races
This weekend the Belgian GT Championship Mediagroep Van Dyck held its third meeting of the season at Circuit Zolder. The GPR-duo Greg Franchi and Maxime Soulet with their Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S, after their double victory at Dijon in May, claimed a further victory in the Belgian GT Championship. After a gruelling race they crossed the line some twenty seconds ahead of Damien Coens and Fred Bouvy in their Ferrari 430, whilst Vincent Radermecker and Ron Marchal came in third, scoring their first podium place of the season. The laurels in Division 2 went to Olivier Van Oost and Robin Maes, whilst in Division 3 Pascal Nelissen-Grade and youngster Niels Lagrange took the honours.
The weather gods were kind to the Belgian GT Championship. During the entire morning dark clouds hovered over Circuit Zolder, but just before the start the sky opened up. This was the sign for pole man Jeffrey Van Hooydonk to immediately put on the pressure. Only the two Gravity International Moslers were able to keep to the pace of the yellow A+ Racing Dodge Viper during the early faze of the race.
Unfortunately up front the race came to an abrupt end for Anthony Kumpen and Bert Longin. Problems with the fuel supply, as was the case during the qualifying sessions, forced the championship leaders to throw in the towel. Shortly after, Jeffrey Van Hooydonk and Robert Dierick were obliged to follow suit; the Viper’s engine having given up the ghost after a hard driven race. No first victory for the A+ Racing troops.
Up front the various Ferraris and Porsches were muscling their way up amongst the leaders. After the first series of pit stops Damien Coens came out in the lead, followed by the GPR Porsche of Franchi, Ruben Maes in the NGT Porsche and Eddy Renard in the Sport Garage Ferrari. The only outsider in this Porsche-Ferrari duel was the sole remaining Mosler of Ron Marchal. The G&A Mosler had also been forced to retire after a strong first half of the race due to brake problems.
The best strategist in this 120 minutes race appeared to be the strong man boasting the GPR Pino Sperlinga colours. His Porsche, with Soulet at the wheel, started the last part of the race with an excellent buffer on the blue Ferrari of Bouvy. Behind the leaders Vincent Radermecker and Bart Couwbergs fought it out to the chequered flag for the remaining podium place.
Rader finally made it with some four seconds ahead of the NGT Porsche. Just before the end Vincent Vosse parked his Ferrari in the pit box.
Behind these top -4 KRK put up an excellent collective performance. With the two KRK Dodge Vipers Vanthoor–Wauters and Schreurs-Wauters finished in fifth and sixth spot, with in their wake the Ferrari of the Thiers brothers and two of the three JD Competition Lamborghini Gallardos. Lagrange - Nelissen-Grade in the First Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup closed off the top-10 and also clinched victory in Division 3. Lastly Olivier Van Oost and Robin Maes were the winners in Division 2.
The Belgian GT Championship will now be taking a few weeks of well-earned rest, prior to travelling on down to Spa-Francorchamps for the first time this season on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th July.
Result:
1. Franchi-Soulet GPR Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S 74 laps, 2. Bouvy-Coens Ferrari F430 +22.282, 3. Radermecker-Marchal Mosler MT900 +41.304, 4. Couwberghs-Maes Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S +45.715, 5. Vanthoor-Kris Wauters Dodge Viper +1 lap, 6. Wauters-Koen Schreurs Dodge Viper +1 lap, 7. Thiers-Thiers Ferrari F430 +2 laps, 8. Haane-Van Hool Lamborghini Gallardo +2 laps, 9. Vollebergh-Thiers Lamborghini Gallardo +3 laps, 10. Lagrange-Nelissen-Grade Porsche 997 GT3 Cup +3 laps...
Championship rankings:
1. GPR 30 points, 2. Garage Francorchamps 27, 3. #24 Gravity International 23, 4. NGT 19, 5. #10 JD by Astromega, 6. #4 A+ Racing 16, 7. Sport Garage 15, ...
Drivers championship rankings:
1. Bouvy-Coens 66 points, 2. Soulet-Franchi 62, 3. Kris Wauters-Schreurs 51, 4. Kumpen-Longin 50, 5. Van Hooydonk-Dierick en Couwbergs-Maes 46....
